Improvement in the manufacture of fertilizers



To all whom it may concern:

ma I am JOHN ooMM1Ns,- or- CHARLESTON, SOUTH, CAROLINA.

Letters Patent No. 107,878, dated October 4, 1870.

'IMPRQVLEMENTIINJTHE MANUFACTURE OF FERTILIZERS.

. The Schedule referred to in these'Lettere latent and making part of the same,

Beit known that I, JOHN COMMINS, ofOharl'eston,

in the district of Charleston and State of South Oar- "olina have invented or discovered a new'and useful -Fertilizer; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear-,aud exact description thereof,

i The nature of my invention or discovery consistsin the utilization of the black salt-marsh grass (spurt inn 1 Glaln'a) int-he manufacture of fertilizers.

gjllhis substance, I have discovered, contains a large amount of nitrogen, also about .ten per cent. of potash and eight per cent. of soda. It .grows in abundance along the Seacoast, and is obtainable at very littlefiexpense. v i Y a t a The method of preparing the grass, sons to obtain thergreatest benefit from it, is to reduce it to afine state, either by cutting or grinding machinery, after which it can be ma'cerated and reducdto a pulpy mass.

By thus disintegrating the grass it is in a suitable conditionto readily obtain from" it its alkaline salts,

and to part with its ammonia when inixed'witlr 'phosph'ates.

Ifdesirable, the grass, redueed as described, may 7 becondensed by pressure,- and thus rendered more compact for transportation. a

I am aware that this lilack salt-marsh grass has been used formany years, in its material state, as a fertilizea but I believe that I am the first to have prepared this grass by disintegrating it, and thus reducing it to a merehantable condition, and adapting it to be usedjwith other fertilizers for enriching and improving their qualities.

I claim, as a new article'of manufacture, and desire to secure by Letters Patent.- 7

The blacklsalt-marsh grass, prepared as described, for use with phosphates or animal matter.

JOHN OOMMINS.

Witnssesi p D. M. -'MoLnN, JAMEs Isnnnar; 

